4 Investments Ripe to Sell

With the market facing a slew of challenges, investors looking to raise cash in this uncertain environment should start with these pricey assets.

Stocks are off to a weak start this year, with the Standard & Poor's 500 index down 6%. The simplest explanation is that, after a 30% gain for the index last year, prices need some cooling off. But there are more troubling signs for those who go looking. The Federal Reserve is scaling back bond purchases that were designed to make borrowing cheap. Emerging markets have been destabilizing. A measure of January manufacturing activity missed forecasts by a mile, whether due to widespread snow and cold or a slowing economic...